Brussels Kicks Out Rental E-Scooters
Brussels will remove shared e-scooters from its streets from January 2027, ending rental schemes in the Belgian capital after years of safety complaints. The Brussels-Capital Region says the licences held by Bolt and Dott, the two remaining operators, will expire at the end of 2026. Shared bicycles and e-bikes will stay available for hire instead.
Best Alternatives for Short Trips
Visitors will still be able to use:
- shared bikes for short central journeys
- e-bikes for longer or hillier routes
- trams for busy tourist areas
- metro lines for faster cross-city trips
- buses where rail links are less convenient
Walking will also remain practical around the historic centre, where many sights sit close together.
The decision follows rising concern over crashes, pavement clutter and misuse. Regional figures cited in local reports say 666 people were injured in e-scooter accidents in 2025, up 26% on the previous year. Officials also pointed to blocked pavements, problems for elderly people and those with reduced mobility, and use by organised crime groups in serious incidents.
For visitors, the change will shift short city trips towards bikes, e-bikes, walking, trams and the metro. Brussels’ central sights, including Grand Place, Mont des Arts, the Royal Palace, the European Quarter and the Marolles, will still be easy to reach without a car. The bigger difference will be fewer parked scooters around pavements, stations and busy tourist streets.
The ban puts Brussels in the same direction as Paris, Madrid and Prague, which have already moved against shared e-scooters. Anyone visiting in 2027 should plan city routes around public transport, walking or bike hire. The change mainly affects quick short-distance trips, not airport transfers or longer journeys across the Belgian capital.
